THE PAST SEASON. 443 



The season of 1872 presented a wider contrast to the one im- 

 mediately preceding it than has been observed in a long series of 

 years. That was marked by drought of great severity, so that all 

 crops suffered, and especially the grasses ; the roots of which, in 

 many parts of the State, seemed to be well nigh deprived of vital- 

 ity. Added to this were myriads of grass-hoppers which, in some 

 sections, completed the work of destruction, not merely for the 

 grass, but also for other vegetation. Had a farmer then been told 

 of the plenty of the succeeding year, he might have been 

 tempted to exclaim, in the words of a sceptic of old, " If the win- 

 dows of Heaven were opened, might this thing be ? " And yet 

 in the ordering of the Divine Providence, and without any miracu- 

 lous interposition, we have seen grain and grass crops such as no 

 one anticipated, or supposed to be possible, under the circum- 

 stances. It is true the latter rains were so frequent and abund- 

 ant as to prevent harvesting under favorable circumstances ; but 

 we have for results, an unusually good yield of spring sown cere- 

 als, a potato crop small in amount and inferior in quality, a large 

 and good crop of Indian corn, a fair average of hay, with grazing 

 so much improved that attention is more generally directed, 

 throughout the State, to dairy husbandry than ever before. 



That the severe droughts of previous years were of great indi- 

 rect benefit, no one can reasonably doubt, although how, and ex- 

 actly by what methods their benefits accrued, it is not easy to de- 

 fine in full and with scientific accuracy. Of the proximate, or re- 

 mote causes of so great variations in the character of the seasons, 

 we also know but little. Such, however, has been the progress of 

 meteorological science of late, that a reasonable hope is indulged 

 that results of practical utility may be attained, and at no distant 

 day. Few would have believed, ten years ago, that the "proba- 

 bilities" of approaching weather would be daily forecast with 



